This Sunday night (Jan. 28), some of the best and most glamorous musicians will walk the red carpet for the 60th Annual GRAMMYs. One of music’s glossiest and most anticipated evenings of the year, the GRAMMYs are not just about the music, but also about the fashion and makeup.

Those who find themselves in the GRAMMYs gift lounge will see Vancouver cosmetic company Inception of Beauty’s products in their gift bags. Brand co-creators and sisters Sharon and Rachel Chand, 25 and 29, were born and raised in East Vancouver. They launched the cruelty-free cosmetic line only months ago, and are already being featured in British Vogue and in an upcoming issue of British GQ.

Makeup for all ethnicities and genders

The brand’s philosophy stems from the goal of making products for all genders and ethnicities—complimenting every face structure and skin tone.

“Growing up, we always had a really hard time finding makeup for our skin types and skin colours,” said Sharon. “I would go to the mall and be really frustrated because there was never a colour that I could find that could compliment my skin tone.”

This premise—along with Sharon’s background in makeup design and Rachel training in business—sparked an entrepreneurial flame.

“I wanted to put my own makeup together, not just for people in our community, but for everybody,” said Sharon. “I think in the beginning we were like, okay, we have this amazing idea. How do we take this to the next level?”

Sharon and Rachel joined the Vancity Business Babes, a networking community that helps new companies build their brand, make industry connections and collaborate with other local women business owners.

“We’ve worked with a lot of local makeup artists—young girls that are coming up as we are,” said Sharon. “We get to all build our careers together as we get to know each other.”

Getting ready for the GRAMMYs

Getting the GRAMMY opportunity was fast and completely unexpected for the Chand sisters.

“It was shocking,” said Sharon. “We couldn’t believe it. We’re two young girls starting in Vancouver. It was a whole lot of excitement, but we were also pretty scared.”

Along with the good news came the pressure of choosing the right products for the event. The girls are giving away 160 of their Diamond Eyeshadow Palettes and 160 sets of Faux Mink Lashes in the gift bags.

“The GRAMMYs are all about getting glammed up, and that was our opportunity to get the attention of celebrities,” said Sharon. “That was a way for us to really wow them.”

Living in Vancouver’s start-up culture

Vancouver is quickly becoming a major hub for start-ups.

“To be honest, in the beginning when we first started—because we’ve lived here our whole lives—I couldn’t believe that Vancouver was the best place for start-ups in Canada,” said Rachel.

The Chand sisters found that once they started networking, Vancouver showed its impressive potential for spawning entrepreneurs.

“I was scared though, because people here can be very judgemental and picky. And we thought, can we impress them?” said Rachel. “It was really stressful starting out, but when it’s your dream you just have to go for it.”

The sister dynamic

2017 had its share of stresses, as the Chands struggled to figure out their product’s packaging and manufacturing details. They were also met with the new challenge of becoming business partners.

“The brand is definitely both of our styles together,” said Sharon. “We get into arguments over what we like, but that’s just typical sister stuff. At the end of the day I feel like we always make it work.”

Inception of Beauty products are manufactured in Toronto and the UK. It mainly reaches young individuals between 15 and 30 years old right now, but the Chands say they are working to expand their customer base to older ages. They are also trying to create more palettes for different skin tones.

“If I was partnered with a friend, I feel like I wouldn’t be as open,” said Rachel of her work dynamic with Sharon.

With the GRAMMYs this weekend and many similar opportunities to come within the next few months, the Chands have a lot to look forward to in 2018.

“I feel that this has definitely made us closer,” said Sharon. “When you’re working with your sister you get to know more about each other. We’re really building our relationship.”